Feelings
by danderson
Summary: Avaric doesn't understand Boq's behaviour around Galinda, because Avaric doesn't have feelings! Rated above content. Oneshot. **I appreciate everyone who reads and reviews all my old stuff. Thank you, truly. d **


Avaric wanted nothing more than to smack Boq upside the head as he followed his friend's gaze across the courtyard.

"Listen, kid." He leaned across the small table and placed a heavy hand on the munchkin's shoulder. "You _gotta_ stop staring. And yammering. Candy Floss will never respect you if you yammer."

Boq's cheeks turned as pink as said Candy Floss' dress. "Don't call her that," he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

"Don't call her Candy Floss?" Avaric bellowed, cupping a hand around his ear.

Boq hissed and glanced furiously over each shoulder. "Shut up Av. I mean it."

Avaric rolled his eyes and kicked back in his chair, interlacing his fingers behind his head and letting out a great contented sigh. "Fine, fine. I'm amenable."

Boq sat stewing for quite some time, mouthing the words he was thinking to himself and fidgeting in his seat. Avaric, meanwhile, had nearly dozed off by the time his small friend couldn't hold back his words any longer. "It's not like you even understand," Boq snapped. "You don't even have _feelings_ , so how would you know how it feels to have feelings for a girl? Hm? HMM?"

Avaric cracked one eye and gazed at his surly buddy. "Fair point, my friend. I apologize."

Boq, feeling quite unwilling to push his luck, stood and brushed himself off. "Thank you."

Avaric shrugged and let himself slip back into his wakeful doze, enjoying the sun on his face and the pleasant sensation of not thinking about anything at all. It was so quiet out here today, so peaceful, so solitary, so-

Galinda Upland's insipid giggle cut through the afternoon air and Avaric sagged in his chair. _So much for that._

As Galinda trotted from one corridor to the other, flanked by her poodle minions, Avaric felt a stab of sympathy for Boq. Truly, Avaric thought, no one would _choose_ to have feelings for... that. He snorted a little at his comparison of Galinda to candy floss. Fluffy, weightless, poofy ball of-

"Oooh, Avvvvvvaric!"

Oz Forsake It, she'd spotted him.

Galinda waved emphatically and hopped toward him. Just because Avaric was something of a Drinking Buddy with Galinda's prettyboy boyfriend, the little pink marshmallow seemed to feel the need to talk to him. Often.

"What a truly gorgerific day," Galinda exclaimed, stopping in front of him with a great flourish. "Are you here all by yourself?"

Avaric sighed. "I was enjoying the peace and quiet." 

Galinda wasn't really listening. "Are you coming to Snoz tonight?"

Avaric leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "I hadn't thought about it."

"Because you don't have a date."

"No, because-"

"You haven't had a date in awhile."

Avaric suddenly wished Galinda really _was_ made of candy floss. A bucket of water and she would melt away, never to be heard from again.

"Not all of us are looking to be attached at the hip, Miss Upland," he remarked.

Galinda pouted a little. "I don't believe you. Even _you_ must have some sort of... wanting to have... a friend. A special friend."

Avaric smirked and Galinda thought he looked just like Elphaba. "I have plenty of 'special friends'," he assured the tiny woman.

Galinda huffed and placed her hands on her hips. "Not apparently," she argued. "Or you'd have a date to Snoz!"

Avaric threw his hands in the air and stood, his peace thoroughly murdered. Galinda took a small step back as her classmate suddenly dwarfed her by more than a foot. Avaric was even taller than Fiyero, who was already _very_ tall to Galinda. "Good day, Miss Upland," he said, nodding once before stepping around her.

"I'm sorry to have upset you by pointing out you're all alone," Galinda called, truly repentant. Avaric kept walking. "I didn't mean to!"

"Alone," he muttered. "More like, 'free'. More like, 'Unfettered'. More like-"

"Oz on fire," Elphaba barked, as the pair rounded a corner and nearly collided. "Walk much?"

"I'm fleeing your sparkly little room mate," he muttered. "She wants me to come to Snoz tonight."

Elphaba sneered. "That place is revolting."

"It has its merits," Avaric replied. "But I'm not in the mood."

Elphaba hugged her books a little tighter to her chest. "Well then." She took a very obvious step to the side and made to pass her class mate. He stepped into her path. Her raised eyebrow drew a grin from him. "Master Avaric-"

"Ooh," he purred. "The scolding tone. I do love that scolding tone."

"It would be in your best interest to get used to it, I suppose."

"Might _you_ be attending Snoz this evening?"

Elphaba recoiled. "I should think not!"

"I promise you many shenanigans about which to scold."

Elphaba shook her head. "I'm sure. But I shan't be moved."

"Won't Galinda make you?" Avaric's ears burned at the look Elphaba shot his way. "I suppose she knows better than to try."

Elphaba cleared her throat. "Sometimes she forgets not to try."

Avaric grinned.

Elphaba allowed a small smile in return.

They remained there until they realized they were simply standing together smiling. Elphaba shook herself out of whatever momentary funk she'd tripped into and shoved past Avaric.

Avaric, stunned, barely turned in time to watch her disappear around a corner. It took another long ten seconds for him to take a breath, unsettled as his chest felt. He wondered, in an abstract sort of way, what Elphaba would be getting up to rather than partaking in the partying at Snoz. He wondered if it might be a nice evening, whatever it was she might get up to.

A cold block of fear landed in his gut as he realized exactly how happy he felt to think of spending a quiet evening with Elphaba and he remained planted in place, dumbfounded.

Avaric wanted nothing more than to smack his own self upside the head.


End file.
